Please Stop Staring At Me

Please stop staring at me. These are words I whispered to myself for over 30 years. My struggles with my visible psoriasis symptoms almost cost me my life.

I would shed more skin in a day than most people would in a week. It would all depend on the season, but sometimes my psoriasis would be a dark purplish color, and other times I could develop white flakes that would itch and bleed. My body was almost 80% covered - the pain was uncomfortable all day and all night.

My self-esteem journey

My psoriasis symptoms started at age 5. I'm 63 years old now. I did grow into a strong and confident woman because of my psoriasis, not despite it. I am proud to share my story and offer hope to others who may be living with this incurable disease.

Psoriasis has not prevented me from living my best life; it has given me a reason and hopes to help others, but it did come at a cost.

So. Many. Treatments.

I have had more treatments in my life than I can count. Many doctors told me that while psoriasis could be controlled, mine was ferocious and merciless. So many times I tried various oral medications, soaps, creams, lights, and ointments and nothing worked.

Each passing day my situation worsened. My friends suggested I give up on prescribed drugs, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking, something will work one day.

Psoriasis as a young person

My psoriasis was very severe as an adolescent. I didn’t socialize because of it. My self-esteem made me a prisoner for depression which almost put me in a panic attack when someone stared at me. Many times I was scared.

Because I didn’t socialize much, I lacked good communication skills, which had and still to this day has a significant impact on my networking and presentation skills. It took years for me to find myself after a long struggle of searching and identifying myself.

A challenging work enviornment

Life was difficult when I became a young professional. It was hard for me to hide, and I had to deal with grown-ups. Some adults can be just as bad as children.

There were times that no one wanted to sit in a chair that I had used or used a utensil I touched. My supervisor saw what was going on and told me to just do my job.

Finding advocacy

For years I wanted to do something for people who lived with this condition, who faced the challenges just as I did. I wanted to provide hope and raise awareness.

I decided to start a support group and found a community. I partnered with many organizations to help people with psoriasis find affordable medication. I have created various platforms for psoriasis patients to socialize and gain inspiration.

Hope comes from within

I’m proud of what I have done and look forward to doing more to raise awareness about psoriasis. Those who live with this condition should feel victimized or stigmatized. Today, I'm bolder and more confident. I refuse to let people's stares affect me negatively.

I'd like to tell anyone suffering from a skin condition that there is hope, and that hope comes from within.  Love yourself and don't let others ruin your peace with their comments, facial expressions, or pointing fingers. Take it easy and remember you are not alone.